Jan 7, 2025
The business arm of the MLB players’ union has dropped its lawsuit against the parent company of the Pittsburgh Pirates and convenience store chain Sheetz.
In August, MLB Players, Inc. filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh against Sheetz and the Pirates claiming the chain used its jersey patch deal with the team to post images of players on social media far above the limit established in the $100,000-per-year sponsorship agreement. The suit said Sheetz “wrongfully exploited” Pirates players Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Nick Gonzales, Carmen Mlodzinski, and Connor Joe by overusing their name, image, and likeness without union approval.
The next day, the two sides reached a verbal agreement, and a Pirates spokesperson told Front Office Sports at the time that the team anticipated the complaint would be withdrawn.
MLB Players, Inc. dropped the lawsuit Dec. 23.
Source: Front Office Sports